The Innovation Center provides valuable business incubation resources to fuel the economy in Athens, Ohio and the surrounding region. Created in 1983, the Ohio University Innovation Center was the first university-based business incubator in the State of Ohio and just the 12th in the United States. The current 36,000 square foot facility opened in 2003. In 2019, the center was awarded the Randall M. Whaley Incubator of the Year, the highest honor bestowed each year by the International Business Innovation Association. The center was recognized as a Top University Business Incubator in North America by UBI Global, an organization that benchmarks business incubators and accelerators around the world. In 2015, the program was ranked #8 in the North American region and #3 in the United States. The Innovation Center provides a considerable range of resources including, but not limited to, the following: -Areas for professional use including office space, labs, and meeting spaces, all leased at competitive rates; -Flexible space and lease options intended to allow companies room to expand; -Access to seasoned expert professionals who can coach and provide erudite insight; -Shared access to exclusive office and lab equipment that small business teams can access for printing, copying, faxing, scanning, high-speed Internet, remote conferencing, and more. Innovation Center clients also benefit from access to the center's extensive list of business and economic partners.